Panache Cruises has launched an expedition brand today (1 May) after seeing its turnover hit £32 million in the past 12 months, up 71% year on year.
CEO James Cole said a lot of the specialist cruise agency’s growth would come from Panache Expeditions, adding: “The market is growing exponentially, and we think Panache Expeditions will generate £10m-plus annual revenue in the next three to five years.
“There are loads of new entrants and destinations. There’s a lot happening in that particular space and we want to be one of the big players.”
James said Panache has invested ‘significantly’ in content, writing blog posts and articles and guides about expedition cruises.
“Over the last few months, my colleagues have travelled to Antarctica, Galapagos and Arctic, gaining insights and detailed knowledge of the key destinations and cruise lines feature” he added.
“Whilst polar regions are obvious expedition destinations we will also be targeting warmer climates such as Galapagos, the Kimberley and more typical cruising destinations, including the Mediterranean, where expedition ships call at less-visited ports or those that are only accessible to small ships.
“We will also feature some river cruise itineraries too including the Mekong and Peruvian Amazon.”
Panache Partnerships Director Anna Perrott said its customers are becoming more adventurous and seeking experiences that bigger ships can’t provide.
“We believe we can become market leaders in promoting far-flung destinations and bringing more new to cruise customers,” she said.
“Expedition cruising can be extremely complicated when booking and we want to make this as easy as possible for people by creating informative and engaging content.”
